


Honey

by SantaMalgastadora



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Breakfast, F/M, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Fluff, Gen, Gender-Neutral Apprentice (The Arcana), Humor, M/M, Male Apprentice (The Arcana), Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:08:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SantaMalgastadora/pseuds/SantaMalgastadora
Summary: One lovely, lazy Sunday morning, at breakfast, Julian takes a chance when the Apprentice is gone and speaks to Asra about something that has been on his mind.Will Asra manage to keep it a secret?Pick pronouns for your Apprentice:Chapter 1 - she/herChapter 2 - he/himChapter 3 - they/them
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Comments: 25
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

Oh, what a Sunday morning it was, all sunny and blue-skyed and hot. The heat, though, wasn't quite reaching the magicians' home, which was thoroughly set up with cooling charms, making the inside fresh and pleasant. It was only the third such a Sunday for [y/n], Asra and Julian since their victory on the Masquerade night. Only third such a breakfast - lazy and quiet, in the cozy kitchen, the air there filled with aroma of Julian's coffee and of spices in the porridge the magicians made - but a routine already, with Julian spending more nights at the shop with [y/n], than at his place, and with Asra moved to kind of a permanent pillow fort in the backroom (he didn't mind, he said it was cooler there).

He was at the table now, slowly swirling a spoon in his bowl, eyes glued to a book on indoor spells in front of him (Chapter 6, Subchapter C: Soundproofing charms), so he didn't have to look at Julian sitting across from him, sipping on his coffee, or at how he was ogling his lover rummaging through the cupboards.

She huffed suddenly, annoyance heavy in her voice. "Asra, where's honey?"

Julian hummed, swallowed quickly and raised his hand. "I'm right here, my dear," he cooed to her.

[y/n] broke into a silly, little smile while Asra dropped his spoon and made a disgusted face at Julian. "Sorry," he said to [y/n]. "I'm afraid I've just used the last of it."

"Asra!" she groaned, slamming a cupboard shut. "You know I sweeten my porridge, too!"

"I said I'm sorry! And it wasn't that much left anyway."

"Because you drink it like it's water!"

" _Because you've been too busy with Ilya to stop me_ ," he mumbled, smirking, then stuffed a copious spoonful into his mouth with gusto.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you want me to go and get you some, darling?" Julian offered as an olive branch, already standing up.

[y/n] glared at Asra one last time before she walked up to Julian and pecked his cheek. "No, thank you, love. I'll go myself. I feel like having a walk anyway." She went to the bedroom, put on her shoes and grabbed a shopping bag. As she walked through the kitchen, she asked: "Do you want me to get anything for you, guys?"

"Hun'ee," Asra said with his mouth full. He quickly wiped what he spat out on the book.

[y/n] grimaced. "That's why I'm going shopping in the first place."

"You're going to get honey for yourself," he explained after he swallowed. "And I mean, get one for me, too. So you don't complain. And then, hide yours, so I'm not tempted."

"What's the point?" she huffed. "You'll smell it from a mile away and dig it out like a pig the truffles anyway."

Julian chuckled into his coffee.

Asra nodded. "Fair enough."

[y/n] sighed. "Anything else?"

"The bread."

"Sure thing. Julian?"

"Nothing, darling, I'm fine, thank you."

"Okay. I will be- "

"Oh, oh! No. Sorry," Julian changed his mind. "Almonds? But plain, not sugar-coated. So _he_ doesn't want them."

Asra gasped in downright outrage, then shoveled more porridge into his mouth and again focused on his book.

"Of course," she agreed with a snicker. "So, honey, pumpkin bread, almonds... and more honey. I'll be back in a moment."

"Bye."

Julian followed her with his eyes, a dreamy look in them, but the moment he could hear the door downstairs close behind her, he tensed up and peeked at Asra. He drummed his fingers on his mug, took a quick sip, then another. He looked at the ceiling, found no help there; tried the same with the tabletop with the same result, so he risked another glance at Asra, who was still pointedly ignoring him. Julian sighed, cleared his throat, to what Asra only shoved another enormous bite into his mouth, his jaw nearly unhinging to take it, and turned the page. Julian stared helplessly into his coffee and bit his lip, already feeling himself go red all the way from his neck up to his ears. But at last, he mustered the courage, took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

"Um… Asra?"

"Hmm?" Asra hummed, chewing unhurriedly, not looking up from the book.

"Could- Could I ask you something?"

Asra finally looked at him, his features only for a second letting on that he was both curious and afraid of what ridiculous, embarrassing secret Julian might share with him. He swallowed, wiped his lips with the back of his hand and took a sip of his tea, bracing himself. "Sure. What's up?"

Julian again stared into the black depths of his mug as if seeking support there. "Okay," he breathed loudly and squared his shoulders. "Actually, I want to ask you two things."

Asra blinked. He couldn't decide if it was better or worse. "Okay."

"First of all, I, um… God, how to put it so it doesn't sound stupid?" he chuckled, rubbing his burning neck.

"Do try," Asra encouraged him with patience and almost no smirk at all.

"Okay. So, I wanted to know… I mean, I do know that… you and [y/n] are… close, right? But, um… I wanted to ask how exactly... _connected_ you... are?" he finished, his face twisted with embarrassment, his eyes at last meeting Asra's, begging him to understand.

Asra looked at him in silence for a moment longer. Then, he blinked. "Oh! You're done. Sorry." He snickered, and Julian hunched a little - he had no idea if Asra really didn't get him, or if he was making fun of him. Either way, it was a nightmare. "How connected we are, you ask…" Asra hummed pensively. "Well, not at the hip, as you can see. She's just left and I stayed."

Julian rolled his eyes and slumped back in his chair. It was the second guess, obviously. "I'm serious here. I meant mental connection. You two always seem to know what the other is thinking or feeling. You're so accurate it's creepy sometimes."

Asra's eyes widened in amusement. "Are you asking me if we read each other's minds?"

"Yes! Exactly."

Asra laughed, baring his teeth, his eyes wrinkling with mirth. When he was done, he had some more of his honey porridge. He shook his head ( _poor, silly Ilya_ ). "No, we don't. We've known each other for years, we share a heart and we're very intuitive, that's it. No thoughts transmission here."

Julian relaxed a little. "Okay. That's good. You see, I'm making sure, because I want your opinion on something and I really need it to stay just between the two of us."

"And you're afraid she'll know if I know," Asra giggled again, his shoulders shaking with it. "Oh, Ilya…"

Julian winced and shifted a little. "I know it seems stupid to you but I still don't get all that magic stuff, so yes, I am."

Asra’s giggle subsided. "Right," he hummed, then closed the book, pushed it aside and leaned with his elbows on the table. "No, it doesn't work like that between us," he explained calmly. "We read each other well but we don't actually hear or see our thoughts. It's not like I'll think about, I don't know, _hazelnuts_ , and she'll know I'm thinking about hazelnuts. Likewise, I don't know what she's thinking about or looking at right now, and so on. Is this what you wanted to know?"

"Yes, pretty much."

"Don't worry then. You can talk to me and I'll keep it to myself. No telepathic leaks, I promise," he winked.

Julian breathed a sigh of relief and managed to smile. "That would be great. Thanks."

"So what's the second thing?"

"Yeah, um… That's the more sensitive part." Julian blushed all over again and stared back into his mug. "It's that I, ah... I've been thinking- I mean, I'm pretty sure it would be too soon but, anyway… I can't stop thinking about it. You know, I just… I love [y/n] so much and… I love being around her, I love being here…"

"I know. I noticed," Asra grumbled, making Julian let out a nervous laugh. 

"Yeah, it's a nuisance to you, I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just don't tell me you want to propose and move in."

Julian's face and ears shone red like festive lights. He rubbed his palms on his thighs, so terribly sweaty all of the sudden. "And if I did...?" he murmured to the table.

Asra gaped at him. "Oh great gods. Ilya..."

"I know, I know," he nodded feverishly.

"It _is_ **_way_** too early."

"I know. I thought so."

"It's been barely three weeks since the things settled down!"

"I know."

"You're in the sleeping-over stage, not moving-in-together stage, not to mention _marriage_."

"Okay…"

"And don't you dare think I'm going to sleep in that damned pillow fort for the rest of my life just because you took my side of the bed!"

"Okay, I got it!" Julian snapped. "Calm down, would you? I said I'd been thinking, not that I bought a ring!"

Asra quirked an eyebrow, unconvinced. "And did you?"

"No! Of course not!" Julian huffed. "I wanted to know what you think first. And…" he hesitated, looked away, peeked at Asra, then away again. "And ask you for advice if you thought it was a good idea. I don't know which ring she'd like. I'm completely clueless."

Asra closed his eyes, then raised them to the sky, asking the gods for patience. "You've already looked."

"Oh, come on!" Julian threw his hands up indignantly. Asra still wouldn't stop giving him that doubtful look, though, and it made him shrink a little and rub his face, which burnt, oh, did it burn. And his hands were wet again. "No, I… I..." he stammered, voice small. "You know. _Maybe_ . Just a _little_ . Just… _browsed_. Pretty things, those rings, you know. Nice to look at, that's all."

"Oh, Ilya," Asra sighed with a smile. Julian dared and glanced at him, and was pleasantly surprised to find it soft, not mean. "You want to know what I think, right?"

Julian nodded.

"Okay. I think… No." Asra said, then paused, searching for words. Julian gulped and froze, too nervous to move a muscle. "No, I _know_ she loves you. And I know you're very good to her. I can see how happy she is with you. I think you're perfect for each other, and I wish you all the best. _But_ ," he added before he spoiled Julian rotten with all those praises. "I also think, and I'm pretty sure [y/n] would agree with me, that it's a little bit too early to take next steps."

"Okay…"

"But don't worry. She's head over heels for you. She'll marry you. In due time."

"Thanks," Julian said, trying not to beam so much. "It means a lot coming from you."

"You dork," Asra called him fondly. "You're so happy and excited you'd get engaged and married, and move into a cottage with a garden, and cats, and dogs, and horses, and start making babies even today, correct me if I'm wrong."

"No, Asra, please..." Julian laughed and waved his hands dismissively, even though his eyes got a tad blurry with the images. "It'd be too much, too soon, even for me. I don't want yet to..." He gave a quick thought to which of those things he wouldn't want yet. "...have horses."

Asra pressed his lips together, not sure if he was stopping a laugh or a groan or a slur, and before he figured it out, the door downstairs opened and shut.

[y/n] walked into the kitchen and greeted them with a bright smile. "Hi, guys. Were you good?"

"Aren't we always?" Asra replied, opening his book and taking another spoon of porridge. He was very glad the conversation was over.

"No." [y/n] fished out a jar from her bag and set it in front of him. "Here. And I'm putting a curse on mine, so don't you touch it."

"Yeah, yeah…"

She took out a loaf of pumpkin bread and put it on the table, too, and the air instantaneously filled with the warm smell of cinnamon and cardamon. "And this is for you, love." She handed Julian a pouch. "I bought you hazelnuts because I know you like them, too, and Asra doesn't."

"You bought _what_?" Julian sputtered. He turned to Asra and met his blank, wide-eyed gaze.

"Hazelnuts." [y/n] looked between the two of them, her brows furrowed. "Why? What's wro- OH!" she yelped, making them jump. Her hands shot to cover her mouth. "Oh my god, Julian, I forgot about your almonds! I'm so sorry!"

Julian gaped at her for a moment before he remembered to close his mouth. He forced himself to smile and speak. "That's- That's…" he stammered, shaking his head. He swallowed hard. His throat was painfully clenched, and he was very hot and sweaty again. "That's okay, dear. Don't worry. _Hazelnuts_ " He threw the dumbstruck Asra an accusatory glare. "are fine, too."

"I don't know how I could forget," [y/n] went on as she rummaged through the bag but her jar of honey was all that was left in there. "I repeated the list in my head over and over again, _honey, pumpkin bread, almonds and honey_ , but the moment I got to the market, I thought about hazelnuts and took them instead. I don't know why I did that. I'm so sorry."

"No, no, darling, no…" Julian repeated, a hint of panic in his voice. He clutched the pouch to his chest as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "It's okay, no need to apologise. I do like hazelnuts, I really do. Actually, I, um…" He scrambled to his feet and gestured awkwardly towards the bedroom. "I think I'll… I'll… Just- Excuse me. For a second, really," he muttered, then burst out from the kitchen.

[y/n] was heartbroken. "How could I forget?" she moaned. "He never asks me of anything. All he does is _give_ and _give_ , and when he wants something for a change, I screw up! I feel terrible, Asra. How could I? Do you think I hurt him?"

"Yeah, I guess," he mumbled absentmindedly, earning himself a scowl from her. "[y/n]?"

"What?"

"What colour am I thinking about?"

"How the hell do I know and why would I care?" She scoffed and shouldered the bag. "I'll get him the almonds. I'll get him all the almonds of the world. I'm going back to the marriage."

Asra choked on his porridge. "The _what_?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "Market. And what did I say?"

"Mar- No." He shook his head frantically. "No, I don't know. I didn't get it."

"Market. I said _market_."

"Okay."

"Are you alright? You're being weird."

"I'm fine."

"Hm, okay. Oh!" She thought of something and turned to him. "Could you talk to Julian? He seems devastated. Please tell him I didn't mean to upset him."

Asra half-nodded, half-shook his head. "Sure."

She put a hand on his shoulder and kissed the top of his head. "Thank you. I'll be back in a second," she said, then rushed outside.

"Sure, I can talk to him," Asra murmured to himself. "He'll never speak to me again, though."


	2. Chapter 2

Oh, what a Sunday morning it was, all sunny and blue-skyed and hot. The heat, though, wasn't quite reaching the magicians' home, which was thoroughly set up with cooling charms, making the inside fresh and pleasant. It was only the third such a Sunday for [y/n], Asra and Julian since their victory on the Masquerade night. Only third such a breakfast - lazy and quiet, in the cozy kitchen, the air there filled with aroma of Julian's coffee and of spices in the porridge the magicians made - but a routine already, with Julian spending more nights at the shop with [y/n], than at his place, and with Asra moved to kind of a permanent pillow fort in the backroom (he didn't mind, he said it was cooler there).

He was at the table now, slowly swirling a spoon in his bowl, eyes glued to a book on indoor spells in front of him (Chapter 6, Subchapter C: Soundproofing charms), so he didn't have to look at Julian sitting across from him, sipping on his coffee, or at how he was ogling his lover rummaging through the cupboards.

[y/n] huffed suddenly, annoyance heavy in his voice. "Asra, where's honey?"

Julian hummed, swallowed quickly and raised his hand. "I'm right here, my dear," he cooed to him.

[y/n] broke into a silly, little smile while Asra dropped his spoon and made a disgusted face at Julian. "Sorry," he said to [y/n]. "I'm afraid I've just used the last of it."

"Asra!" he groaned, slamming a cupboard shut. "You know I sweeten my porridge, too!"

"I said I'm sorry! And it wasn't that much left anyway."

"Because you drink it like it's water!"

" _Because you've been too busy with Ilya to stop me_ ," he mumbled, smirking, then stuffed a copious spoonful into his mouth with gusto.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you want me to go and get you some, darling?" Julian offered as an olive branch, already standing up.

[y/n] glared at Asra one last time before he walked up to Julian and pecked his cheek. "No, thank you, love. I'll go myself. I feel like having a walk anyway." he went to the bedroom, put on his shoes and grabbed a shopping bag. As he walked through the kitchen, he asked: "Do you want me to get anything for you, guys?"

"Hun'ee," Asra said with his mouth full. He quickly wiped what he spat out on the book.

[y/n] grimaced. "That's why I'm going shopping in the first place."

"You're going to get honey for yourself," he explained after he swallowed. "And I mean, get one for me, too. So you don't complain. And then, hide yours, so I'm not tempted."

"What's the point?" he huffed. "You'll smell it from a mile away and dig it out like a pig the truffles anyway."

Julian chuckled into his coffee.

Asra nodded. "Fair enough."

[y/n] sighed. "Anything else?"

"The bread."

"Sure thing. Julian?"

"Nothing, darling, I'm fine, thank you."

"Okay. I will be- "

"Oh, oh! No. Sorry," Julian changed his mind. "Almonds? But plain, not sugar-coated. So _he_ doesn't want them."

Asra gasped in downright outrage, then shoveled more porridge into his mouth and again focused on his book.

"Of course," he agreed with a snicker. "So, honey, pumpkin bread, almonds... and more honey. I'll be back in a moment."

"Bye."

Julian followed him with his eyes, a dreamy look in them, but the moment he could hear the door downstairs close behind him, he tensed up and peeked at Asra. He drummed his fingers on his mug, took a quick sip, then another. He looked at the ceiling, found no help there; tried the same with the tabletop with the same result, so he risked another glance at Asra, who was still pointedly ignoring him. Julian sighed, cleared his throat, to what Asra only shoved another enormous bite into his mouth, his jaw nearly unhinging to take it, and turned the page. Julian stared helplessly into his coffee and bit his lip, already feeling himself go red all the way from his neck up to his ears. But at last, he mustered the courage, took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

"Um… Asra?"

"Hmm?" Asra hummed, chewing unhurriedly, not looking up from the book.

"Could- Could I ask you something?"

Asra finally looked at him, his features only for a second letting on that he was both curious and afraid of what ridiculous, embarrassing secret Julian might share with him. He swallowed, wiped his lips with the back of his hand and took a sip of his tea, bracing himself. "Sure. What's up?"

Julian again stared into the black depths of his mug as if seeking support there. "Okay," he breathed loudly and squared his shoulders. "Actually, I want to ask you two things."

Asra blinked. He couldn't decide if it was better or worse. "Okay."

"First of all, I, um… God, how to put it so it doesn't sound stupid?" he chuckled, rubbing his burning neck.

"Do try," Asra encouraged him with patience and almost no smirk at all.

"Okay. So, I wanted to know… I mean, I do know that… you and [y/n] are… close, right? But, um… I wanted to ask how exactly... _connected_ you... are?" he finished, his face twisted with embarrassment, his eyes at last meeting Asra's, begging him to understand.

Asra looked at him in silence for a moment longer. Then, he blinked. "Oh! You're done. Sorry." He snickered, and Julian hunched a little - he had no idea if Asra really didn't get him, or if he was making fun of him. Either way, it was a nightmare. "How connected we are, you ask…" Asra hummed pensively. "Well, not at the hip, as you can see. He's just left and I stayed."

Julian rolled his eyes and slumped back in his chair. It was the second guess, obviously. "I'm serious here. I meant mental connection. You two always seem to know what the other is thinking or feeling. You're so accurate it's creepy sometimes."

Asra's eyes widened in amusement. "Are you asking me if we read each other's minds?"

"Yes! Exactly."

Asra laughed, baring his teeth, his eyes wrinkling with mirth. When he was done, he had some more of his honey porridge. He shook his head ( _poor, silly Ilya_ ). "No, we don't. We've known each other for years, we share a heart and we're very intuitive, that's it. No thoughts transmission here."

Julian relaxed a little. "Okay. That's good. You see, I'm making sure, because I want your opinion on something and I really need it to stay just between the two of us."

"And you're afraid he'll know if I know," Asra giggled again, his shoulders shaking with it. "Oh, Ilya…"

Julian winced and shifted a little. "I know it seems stupid to you but I still don't get all that magic stuff, so yes, I am."

Asra’s giggle subsided. "Right," he hummed, then closed the book, pushed it aside and leaned with his elbows on the table. "No, it doesn't work like that between us," he explained calmly. "We read each other well but we don't actually hear or see our thoughts. It's not like I'll think about, I don't know, _hazelnuts_ , and he'll know I'm thinking about hazelnuts. Likewise, I don't know what he's thinking about or looking at right now, and so on. Is this what you wanted to know?"

"Yes, pretty much."

"Don't worry then. You can talk to me and I'll keep it to myself. No telepathic leaks, I promise," he winked.

Julian breathed a sigh of relief and managed to smile. "That would be great. Thanks."

"So what's the second thing?"

"Yeah, um… That's the more sensitive part." Julian bluhed all over again and stared back into his mug. "It's that I, ah... I've been thinking- I mean, I'm pretty sure it would be too soon but, anyway… I can't stop thinking about it. You know, I just… I love [y/n] so much and… I love being around him, I love being here…"

"I know. I noticed," Asra grumbled, making Julian let out a nervous laugh. 

"Yeah, it's a nuisance to you, I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just don't tell me you want to propose and move in."

Julian's face and ears shone red like festive lights. He rubbed his palms on his thighs, so terribly sweaty all of the sudden. "And if I did...?" he murmured to the table.

Asra gaped at him. "Oh great gods. Ilya..."

"I know, I know," he nodded feverishly.

"It _is_ **_way_** too early."

"I know. I thought so."

"It's been barely three weeks since the things settled down!"

"I know."

"You're in the sleeping-over stage, not moving-in-together stage, not to mention _marriage_."

"Okay…"

"And don't you dare think I'm going to sleep in that damned pillow fort for the rest of my life just because you took my side of the bed!"

"Okay, I got it!" Julian snapped. "Calm down, would you? I said I'd been thinking, not that I bought a ring!"

Asra quirked an eyebrow, unconvinced. "And did you?"

"No! Of course not!" Julian huffed. "I wanted to know what you think first. And…" he hesitated, looked away, peeked at Asra, then away again. "And ask you for advice if you thought it was a good idea. I don't know which ring he'd like. I'm completely clueless."

Asra closed his eyes, then raised them to the sky, asking the gods for patience. "You've already looked."

"Oh, come on!" Julian threw his hands up indignantly. Asra still wouldn't stop giving him that doubtful look, though, and it made him shrink a little and rub his face, which burnt, oh, did it burn. And his hands were wet again. "No, I… I..." he stammered, voice small. "You know. _Maybe_ . Just a _little_ . Just… _browsed_. Pretty things, those rings, you know. Nice to look at, that's all."

"Oh, Ilya," Asra sighed with a smile. Julian dared and glanced at him, and was pleasantly surprised to find it soft, not mean. "You want to know what I think, right?"

Julian nodded.

"Okay. I think… No." Asra said, then paused, searching for words. Julian gulped and froze, too nervous to move a muscle. "No, I _know_ he loves you. And I know you're very good to him. I can see how happy he is with you. I think you're perfect for each other, and I wish you all the best. _But_ ," he added before he spoiled Julian rotten with all those praises. "I also think, and I'm pretty sure [y/n] would agree with me, that it's a little bit too early to take next steps."

"Okay…"

"But don't worry. He's head over heels for you. He'll marry you. In due time."

"Thanks," Julian said, trying not to beam so much. "It means a lot coming from you."

"You dork," Asra called him fondly. "You're so happy and excited you'd get engaged and married, and move into a cottage with a garden, and cats, and dogs, and horses, and start adopting babies even today, correct me if I'm wrong."

"No, Asra, please..." Julian laughed and waved his hands dismissively, even though his eyes got a tad blurry with the images. "It'd be too much, too soon, even for me. I don't want yet to..." He gave a quick thought to which of those things he wouldn't want yet. "...have horses."

Asra pressed his lips together, not sure if he was stopping a laugh or a groan or a slur, and before he figured it out, the door downstairs opened and shut.

[y/n] walked into the kitchen and greeted them with a bright smile. "Hi, guys. Were you good?"

"Aren't we always?" Asra replied, opening his book and taking another spoon of porridge. He was very glad the conversation was over.

"No." [y/n] fished out a jar from her bag and set it in front of him. "Here. And I'm putting a curse on mine, so don't you touch it."

"Yeah, yeah…"

He took out a loaf of pumpkin bread and put it on the table, too, and the air instantaneously filled with the warm smell of cinnamon and cardamon. "And this is for you, love." he handed Julian a pouch. "I bought you hazelnuts because I know you like them, too, and Asra doesn't."

"You bought _what_?" Julian sputtered. He turned to Asra and met his blank, wide-eyed gaze.

"Hazelnuts." [y/n] looked between the two of them, his brows furrowed. "Why? What's wro- OH!" he yelped, making them jump. His hands shot to cover his mouth. "Oh my god, Julian, I forgot about your almonds! I'm so sorry!"

Julian gaped at him for a moment before he remembered to close his mouth. He forced himself to smile and speak. "That's- That's…" he stammered, shaking his head. He swallowed hard. His throat was painfully clenched, and he was very hot and sweaty again. "That's okay, dear. Don't worry. _Hazelnuts_ " He threw the dumbstruck Asra an accusatory glare. "are fine, too."

"I don't know how I could forget," [y/n] went on as he rummaged through the bag but his jar of honey was all that was left in there. "I repeated the list in my head over and over again, _honey, pumpkin bread, almonds and honey_ , but the moment I got to the market, I thought about hazelnuts and took them instead. I don't know why I did that. I'm so sorry."

"No, no, darling, no…" Julian repeated, a hint of panic in his voice. He clutched the pouch to his chest as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "It's okay, no need to apologise. I do like hazelnuts, I really do. Actually, I, um…" He scrambled to his feet and gestured awkwardly towards the bedroom. "I think I'll… I'll… Just- Excuse me. For a second, really," he muttered, then burst out from the kitchen.

[y/n] was heartbroken. "How could I forget?" he moaned. "He never asks me of anything. All he does is _give_ and _give_ , and when he wants something for a change, I screw up! I feel terrible, Asra. How could I? Do you think I hurt him?"

"Yeah, I guess," Asra mumbled absentmindedly, earning himself a scowl from him. "[y/n]?"

"What?"

"What colour am I thinking about?"

"How the hell do I know and why would I care?" he scoffed and shouldered the bag. "I'll get him the almonds. I'll get him all the almonds of the world. I'm going back to the marriage."

Asra choked on his porridge. "The _what_?"

[y/n] eyed him suspiciously. "Market. And what did I say?"

"Mar- No." He shook his head frantically. "No, I don't know. I didn't get it."

"Market. I said _market_."

"Okay."

"Are you alright? You're being weird."

"I'm fine."

"Hm, okay. Oh!" [y/n] thought of something and turned to him. "Could you talk to Julian? He seems devastated. Please tell him I didn't mean to upset him."

Asra half-nodded, half-shook his head. "Sure."

[y/n] put a hand on his shoulder and kissed the top of his head. "Thank you. I'll be back in a second," he said, then rushed outside.

"Sure, I can talk to him," Asra murmured to himself. "He'll never speak to me again, though."


	3. Chapter 3

Oh, what a Sunday morning it was, all sunny and blue-skyed and hot. The heat, though, wasn't quite reaching the magicians' home, which was thoroughly set up with cooling charms, making the inside fresh and pleasant. It was only the third such a Sunday for [y/n], Asra and Julian since their victory on the Masquerade night. Only third such a breakfast - lazy and quiet, in the cozy kitchen, the air there filled with aroma of Julian's coffee and of spices in the porridge the magicians made - but a routine already, with Julian spending more nights at the shop with [y/n], than at his place, and with Asra moved to kind of a permanent pillow fort in the backroom (he didn't mind, he said it was cooler there).

He was at the table now, slowly swirling a spoon in his bowl, eyes glued to a book on indoor spells in front of him (Chapter 6, Subchapter C: Soundproofing charms), so he didn't have to look at Julian sitting across from him, sipping on his coffee, or at how he was ogling his lover rummaging through the cupboards.

They huffed suddenly, annoyance heavy in their voice. "Asra, where's honey?"

Julian hummed, swallowed quickly and raised his hand. "I'm right here, my dear," he cooed to them.

[y/n] broke into a silly, little smile while Asra dropped his spoon and made a disgusted face at Julian. "Sorry," he said to [y/n]. "I'm afraid I've just used the last of it."

"Asra!" they groaned, slamming a cupboard shut. "You know I sweeten my porridge, too!"

"I said I'm sorry! And it wasn't that much left anyway."

"Because you drink it like it's water!"

" _Because you've been too busy with Ilya to stop me_ ," he mumbled, smirking, then stuffed a copious spoonful into his mouth with gusto.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you want me to go and get you some, darling?" Julian offered as an olive branch, already standing up.

[y/n] glared at Asra one last time before they walked up to Julian and pecked his cheek. "No, thank you, love. I'll go myself. I feel like having a walk anyway." They went to the bedroom, put on their shoes and grabbed a shopping bag. As they walked through the kitchen, they asked: "Do you want me to get anything for you, guys?"

"Hun'ee," Asra said with his mouth full. He quickly wiped what he spat out on the book.

[y/n] grimaced. "That's why I'm going shopping in the first place."

"You're going to get honey for yourself," he explained after he swallowed. "And I mean, get one for me, too. So you don't complain. And then, hide yours, so I'm not tempted."

"What's the point?" they huffed. "You'll smell it from a mile away and dig it out like a pig the truffles anyway."

Julian chuckled into his coffee.

Asra nodded. "Fair enough."

[y/n] sighed. "Anything else?"

"The bread."

"Sure thing. Julian?"

"Nothing, darling, I'm fine, thank you."

"Okay. I will be- "

"Oh, oh! No. Sorry," Julian changed his mind. "Almonds? But plain, not sugar-coated. So _he_ doesn't want them."

Asra gasped in downright outrage, then shoveled more porridge into his mouth and again focused on his book.

"Of course," they agreed with a snicker. "So, honey, pumpkin bread, almonds... and more honey. I'll be back in a moment."

"Bye."

Julian followed them with his eyes, a dreamy look in them, but the moment he could hear the door downstairs close behind them, he tensed up and peeked at Asra. He drummed his fingers on his mug, took a quick sip, then another. He looked at the ceiling, found no help there; tried the same with the tabletop with the same result, so he risked another glance at Asra, who was still pointedly ignoring him. Julian sighed, cleared his throat, to what Asra only shoved another enormous bite into his mouth, his jaw nearly unhinging to take it, and turned the page. Julian stared helplessly into his coffee and bit his lip, already feeling himself go red all the way from his neck up to his ears. But at last, he mustered the courage, took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

"Um… Asra?"

"Hmm?" Asra hummed, chewing unhurriedly, not looking up from the book.

"Could- Could I ask you something?"

Asra finally looked at him, his features only for a second letting on that he was both curious and afraid of what ridiculous, embarrassing secret Julian might share with him. He swallowed, wiped his lips with the back of his hand and took a sip of his tea, bracing himself. "Sure. What's up?"

Julian again stared into the black depths of his mug as if seeking support there. "Okay," he breathed loudly and squared his shoulders. "Actually, I want to ask you two things."

Asra blinked. He couldn't decide if it was better or worse. "Okay."

"First of all, I, um… God, how to put it so it doesn't sound stupid?" he chuckled, rubbing his burning neck.

"Do try," Asra encouraged him with patience and almost no smirk at all.

"Okay. So, I wanted to know… I mean, I do know that… you and [y/n] are… close, right? But, um… I wanted to ask how exactly... _connected_ you... are?" he finished, his face twisted with embarrassment, his eyes at last meeting Asra's, begging him to understand.

Asra looked at him in silence for a moment longer. Then, he blinked. "Oh! You're done. Sorry." He snickered, and Julian hunched a little - he had no idea if Asra really didn't get him, or if he was making fun of him. Either way, it was a nightmare. "How connected we are, you ask…" Asra hummed pensively. "Well, not at the hip, as you can see. They've just left and I stayed."

Julian rolled his eyes and slumped back in his chair. It was the second guess, obviously. "I'm serious here. I meant mental connection. You two always seem to know what the other is thinking or feeling. You're so accurate it's creepy sometimes."

Asra's eyes widened in amusement. "Are you asking me if we read each other's minds?"

"Yes! Exactly."

Asra laughed, baring his teeth, his eyes wrinkling with mirth. When he was done, he had some more of his honey porridge. He shook his head ( _poor, silly Ilya_ ). "No, we don't. We've known each other for years, we share a heart and we're very intuitive, that's it. No thoughts transmission here."

Julian relaxed a little. "Okay. That's good. You see, I'm making sure, because I want your opinion on something and I really need it to stay just between the two of us."

"And you're afraid they'll know if I know," Asra giggled again, his shoulders shaking with it. "Oh, Ilya…"

Julian winced and shifted a little. "I know it seems stupid to you but I still don't get all that magic stuff, so yes, I am."

Asra’s giggle subsided. "Right," he hummed, then closed the book, pushed it aside and leaned with his elbows on the table. "No, it doesn't work like that between us," he explained calmly. "We read each other well but we don't actually hear or see our thoughts. It's not like I'll think about, I don't know, _hazelnuts_ , and they'll know I'm thinking about hazelnuts. Likewise, I don't know what they're thinking about or looking at right now, and so on. Is this what you wanted to know?"

"Yes, pretty much."

"Don't worry then. You can talk to me and I'll keep it to myself. No telepathic leaks, I promise," he winked.

Julian breathed a sigh of relief and managed to smile. "That would be great. Thanks."

"So what's the second thing?"

"Yeah, um… That's the more sensitive part." Julian blushed all over again and stared back into his mug. "It's that I, ah... I've been thinking- I mean, I'm pretty sure it would be too soon but, anyway… I can't stop thinking about it. You know, I just… I love [y/n] so much and… I love being around them, I love being here…"

"I know. I noticed," Asra grumbled, making Julian let out a nervous laugh. 

"Yeah, it's a nuisance to you, I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just don't tell me you want to propose and move in."

Julian's face and ears shone red like festive lights. He rubbed his palms on his thighs, so terribly sweaty all of the sudden. "And if I did...?" he murmured to the table.

Asra gaped at him. "Oh great gods. Ilya..."

"I know, I know," he nodded feverishly.

"It _is_ **_way_** too early."

"I know. I thought so."

"It's been barely three weeks since the things settled down!"

"I know."

"You're in the sleeping-over stage, not moving-in-together stage, not to mention _marriage_."

"Okay…"

"And don't you dare think I'm going to sleep in that damned pillow fort for the rest of my life just because you took my side of the bed!"

"Okay, I got it!" Julian snapped. "Calm down, would you? I said I'd been thinking, not that I bought a ring!"

Asra quirked an eyebrow, unconvinced. "And did you?"

"No! Of course not!" Julian huffed. "I wanted to know what you think first. And…" he hesitated, looked away, peeked at Asra, then away again. "And ask you for advice if you thought it was a good idea. I don't know which ring they'd like. I'm completely clueless."

Asra closed his eyes, then raised them to the sky, asking the gods for patience. "You've already looked."

"Oh, come on!" Julian threw his hands up indignantly. Asra still wouldn't stop giving him that doubtful look, though, and it made him shrink a little and rub his face, which burnt, oh, did it burn. And his hands were wet again. "No, I… I..." he stammered, voice small. "You know. _Maybe_ . Just a _little_ . Just… _browsed_. Pretty things, those rings, you know. Nice to look at, that's all."

"Oh, Ilya," Asra sighed with a smile. Julian dared and glanced at him, and was pleasantly surprised to find it soft, not mean. "You want to know what I think, right?"

Julian nodded.

"Okay. I think… No." Asra said, then paused, searching for words. Julian gulped and froze, too nervous to move a muscle. "No, I _know_ they love you. And I know you're very good to them. I can see how happy they are with you. I think you're perfect for each other, and I wish you all the best. _But_ ," he added before he spoiled Julian rotten with all those praises. "I also think, and I'm pretty sure [y/n] would agree with me, that it's a little bit too early to take next steps."

"Okay…"

"But don't worry. They're head over heels for you. They'll marry you. In due time."

"Thanks," Julian said, trying not to beam so much. "It means a lot coming from you."

"You dork," Asra called him fondly. "You're so happy and excited you'd get engaged and married, and move into a cottage with a garden, and cats, and dogs, and horses, and start a family even today, correct me if I'm wrong."

"No, Asra, please..." Julian laughed and waved his hands dismissively, even though his eyes got a tad blurry with the images. "It'd be too much, too soon, even for me. I don't want yet to..." He gave a quick thought to which of those things he wouldn't want yet. "...have horses."

Asra pressed his lips together, not sure if he was stopping a laugh or a groan or a slur, and before he figured it out, the door downstairs opened and shut.

[y/n] walked into the kitchen and greeted them with a bright smile. "Hi, guys. Were you good?"

"Aren't we always?" Asra replied, opening his book and taking another spoon of porridge. He was very glad the conversation was over.

"No." [y/n] fished out a jar from their bag and set it in front of him. "Here. And I'm putting a curse on mine, so don't you touch it."

"Yeah, yeah…"

They took out a loaf of pumpkin bread and put it on the table, too, and the air instantaneously filled with the warm smell of cinnamon and cardamon. "And this is for you, love." They handed Julian a pouch. "I bought you hazelnuts because I know you like them, too, and Asra doesn't."

"You bought _what_?" Julian sputtered. He turned to Asra and met his blank, wide-eyed gaze.

"Hazelnuts." [y/n] looked between the two of them, their brows furrowed. "Why? What's wro- OH!" they yelped, making them jump. Their hands shot to cover their mouth. "Oh my god, Julian, I forgot about your almonds! I'm so sorry!"

Julian gaped at them for a moment before he remembered to close his mouth. He forced himself to smile and speak. "That's- That's…" he stammered, shaking his head. He swallowed hard. His throat was painfully clenched, and he was very hot and sweaty again. "That's okay, dear. Don't worry. _Hazelnuts_ " He threw the dumbstruck Asra an accusatory glare. "are fine, too."

"I don't know how could I forget," [y/n] went on as they rummaged through the bag but their jar of honey was all that was left in there. "I repeated the list in my head over and over again, _honey, pumpkin bread, almonds and honey_ , but the moment I got to the market, I thought about hazelnuts and took them instead. I don't know why I did that. I'm so sorry."

"No, no, darling, no…" Julian repeated, a hint of panic in his voice. He clutched the pouch to his chest as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "It's okay, no need to apologise. I do like hazelnuts, I really do. Actually, I, um…" He scrambled to his feet and gestured awkwardly towards the bedroom. "I think I'll… I'll… Just- Excuse me. For a second, really," he muttered, then burst out from the kitchen.

[y/n] was heartbroken. "How could I forget?" they moaned. "He never asks me of anything. All he does is _give_ and _give_ , and when he wants something for a change, I screw up! I feel terrible, Asra. How could I? Do you think I hurt him?"

"Yeah, I guess," he mumbled absentmindedly, earning himself a scowl from them. "[y/n]?"

"What?"

"What colour am I thinking about?"

"How the hell do I know and why would I care?" They scoffed and shouldered the bag. "I'll get him the almonds. I'll get him all the almonds of the world. I'm going back to the marriage."

Asra choked on his porridge. "The _what_?"

They eyed him suspiciously. "Market. And what did I say?"

"Mar- No." He shook his head frantically. "No, I don't know. I didn't get it."

"Market. I said _market_."

"Okay."

"Are you alright? You're being weird."

"I'm fine."

"Hm, okay. Oh!" They thought of something and turned to him. "Could you talk to Julian? He seems devastated. Please tell him I didn't mean to upset him."

Asra half-nodded, half-shook his head. "Sure."

They put a hand on his shoulder and kissed the top of his head. "Thank you. I'll be back in a second," they said, then rushed outside.

"Sure, I can talk to him," Asra murmured to himself. "He'll never speak to me again, though."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr [santamalgastadora](https://santamalgastadora.tumblr.com/)


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